


The Right Side of the Wrong Bed (DISCONTINUED)

by RedFiretrucks



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe- Modern Setting - Freeform, Anorexia, Eating Disorders, Eren is a huge crybaby, I'll tag as I go, M/M, Prostitute!Eren, Psychological Trauma, Seizures, Slow Build, Triggers galore, angst angst angst, implied rape, nurse!Levi, okay Eren talks about his rape so it's worse now, police officer!Marco
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-25
Updated: 2014-07-08
Packaged: 2017-12-30 09:53:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 15
Words: 14,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1017188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedFiretrucks/pseuds/RedFiretrucks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I wanna be drunk when I wake up on the right side of the wrong bed." --Ed Sheeran</p><p>When Eren wakes up in a hospital after the worst beating of his life, he isn't sure what to do. Prostitutes aren't accepted by society, and he doesn't expect to be treated as well as he is. Levi Rivaille, his nurse, is different. He breaks down the walls Eren tried so hard to build after his mother's death. Can he get to Eren's true self, or is it too late to turn the boy around?</p><p>(Part-way through writing this fanfiction, I became really uncomfortable with Eren and Levi's canon age difference, and this story just kind of fell flat for me... I'm really sorry to everybody who enjoyed it, but I can't continue it right now. Maybe in the future... Again, sorry for the inconvenience ;; )</p><p>  <span class="small"><br/>    <i>PLEASE READ THE TAGS SO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO. I TAG THE TRIGGERS FOR A REASON.</i><br/>  </span></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. started at the bottom

Beneath the haze of pain and medication, the frantic voices of doctors, and the erratic beeping of various machines hooked up to him, Eren Jaeger wondered how he'd hit rock bottom so quickly. How did his life, once so simple and quaint, spiral so out of control? How did a honors student with friends and a family, a promising future and a wild imagination, end up as a lowly prostitute, beaten half to death by a drunken client? How?

* * *

The same beeping that had lulled him to sleep awoke Eren, now much steadier and rhythmic than when he'd gone under. The first thing that the groggy boy processed when his eyes cracked open was the bright light filtering into the room. The second was the intensity of the burning, twisting, awful pain throughout his body. Eren started retching. Dry heaving is never a pleasant experience, but it's so much worse when you're half awake and feeling the aftereffects of alcohol, pain medication, and the worst beating of your life. The heart monitor next to his chirped frantically as Eren regained full consciousness, and he tried to sit up more (he was propped up by whatever he was on) and hung his head between his legs. This evoked more pain, but if he did have anything in his stomach, it would be better on the sheets than on his body. 

"Fuck," a tart voice growled as Eren's room door shut loudly. Wait. He was in a hospital room. Beyond the acrid stench of vomit, the young brunette could vaguely catch the sterile scent of the hospital. Everything from the previous night came flooding back full-force-- the client's intoxicated rage, the ambulance, somebody squeezing his hand as he was stuck with needles and clipped to machines-- and it only made the retching worse. He choked on some spit that had flooded into his mouth, sending him into a fit of coughs and splutters. Two gentle hands found Eren, one his back and the other his arm, and they rubbed small, soothing circles into his skin. That same voice from before cooed to him softly, having now taken on an almost maternal tone. 

"You're alright," the masculine murmurs told him as the hands kept moving. The coughing settled into panting, which soon turned back into a normal breathing pattern. Eren took his time catching his breath, reveling in the warm touch offered by this stranger (because disembodied hands and voices don't just fly around hospitals offering comfort). "That's it. Alright, kid, I'm gonna sit you back _slowly_ , okay? Just go with it." The hands left their places and moved to his shoulders, gingerly pressing back so that Eren was against the hospital beds. He liked the gentle green of the sheets, the clean white of the pillow and mattress. He especially liked how it could be adjusted so that he was sitting up, because surely lying down would hurt like hell. Being able to function once more, Eren took in the rest of his room. The walls and ceiling were a yellow-ish off-white with a band of forest green around the bottom. The tiles were white, flecked with speckles of green-grey of various shades, and the curtains that were pulled to the sides of his windows were also white. Right corner, closest to the door, was a small area that resembled a kitchen, sporting cabinets both above and below its small sink. The cabinets above the sink were stained a 'natural' brown, swirled with the markings of whatever trees they came from, and those below were pained the same off-white as the walls. The counter had a few canisters of typical doctor things, like tongue depressors, Q-tips, and cotton balls. Directly across from his bed was a fairly large whiteboard that had things scribbled down on it, probably his prescriptions and directions for proper care. And, finally, Eren's eyes found the source of comfort. 

It was a man (most obviously, considering the voice) with porcelain skin and black hair styled in an undercut, parted neatly down the middle. He had fine eyebrows that would normally be feminine, but he pulled them off nicely. His grey eyes were thinner than Eren's, hinting at a partially Asian heritage, and were simultaneously captivating and intimidating. He had a square jaw supported by a slender neck and sloping shoulders. His scrubs were dark grey with a white layer beneath, and they hung off his frame loosely, giving Eren the impression that he was rather thin. Where his arms peeked out from beneath the scrubs, they were wiry, finely muscled but not bulky. The first word that came to mind when Eren saw him was _beautiful_. And he was. 

"Hi," Eren choked out, unsure of what exactly to say. "Thanks for that." The man quirked a brow at him, but nodded acceptingly. Eren couldn't help but feel flustered; the first time he saw this man (that he remembered, at least), he'd been heaving into his lap. Not exactly an ideal situation, even if it was the other's job. 

"No problem, kid," he said nonchalantly, patting Eren's shoulder before taking his hands away from the shaking boy's body. They left an uncomfortable absence of warmth. It made Eren shiver harder. "My name is Levi Rivaille. Can you tell me your name?" Eren gave the man, Levi, a queer look. Shouldn't the hospital staff have changed his clothes? Found his ID in his pants pocket? Oh, yeah... He'd been stripped of his pants. "Do you not remember?"

"N-no, I remember! I'm Eren Jaeger." The young brunette felt like sinking into the white hospital bed, suddenly ashamed of himself. He remembered the way his client had brusquely tossed his pants aside, touched him even when he’d said “no”. “Can I please call my sister?” Mikasa. He might not have talked to his adoptive sister in a while, but now he needed her. At least, he needed to talk to her. Levi took his eyes off of his patient, pondering for a moment. 

“I think that you should take it easy for a while, but if you’re feeling a bit better, then you can call her later,” Levi told him, crossing his arms and rubbing his biceps. It was a little chilly, when Eren thought about it. “If you write her name and number down, I can call her for you.” Eren shook his head animatedly at that. “What about your parents? You’re, what, 17? 18?”

Eren’s expression turned from scared to stoic. Of course, Levi couldn’t possibly know that his mom had died in a car crash four years ago. He couldn’t know that his dad had taken off after Carla, his mom, died, leaving Mikasa and he in the hands of incapable nannies who didn’t give two shits about the kids. Hell, nobody even knew his name. They couldn’t know. Levi caught onto the shift in the atmosphere, because he nodded knowingly and turned to leave. 

“Wait!” Eren cried out, causing the nurse to jump. “Please don’t go… I don’t want to be alone.” His shaking voice trailed off towards the end of his sentence, face flushing. It was embarrassing to beg somebody he barely not to leave him by himself, but Eren thrived off of company, and he needed somebody close enough for comfort but anonymous enough that there were no personal ties—a band-aid, if you will. Somebody temporary, that he could shed without a second thought but kept him satisfied during his time of need. Slowly, Levi backed away from the door and crossed the room, planking down in a chair next to Eren’s bed, crossing his legs and throwing an arm over the other seats casually. It looked so natural. So inviting. 

“Eren,” Levi said in a stern but not unfriendly tone. It sent a shiver up Eren’s spine to hear his name said in such a way. It sounded nice. “I’m going to need you to talk to a police officer later, alright? In the condition you were found in last night, we know the basis of what happened… Officer Bodt, the man coming in, specializes in cases like yours, alright? He’s gonna take your statement.” Eren nodded mutely, feeling the color drain from his face. As a prostitute, he learned early on to avoid the fuzz at all costs. He’d never really needed to interact with them, besides those mandatory field trips to the police station in elementary school, and didn’t plan on doing so anytime soon. But he was stuck now. If he was being frank, Eren was scared of the police. What scared him even more than the cops, though, was having to recall everything that happened last night. He was reluctant to share everything that had happened, even more so to share it with somebody he didn’t know. Levi placed an assuring hand on Eren’s shoulder. “If you want, I can call your sister, and she can sit with you through it.”  
“No,” came Eren’s response, almost interrupting Levi. The nurse narrowed his eyes at the boy, but his harsh gaze softened when he saw how stressed out Eren was. His heart rate sped up, making the machine chirp faster and Levi shushed him, murmuring that it was okay and to “Calm down, kid.” Eren looked down at his stomach, at his arms that were blotched with black and blue where they weren’t patched up with gauze. He wanted to leave, get back on the streets, make the pain go away. That wasn’t going to happen, though. He shifted, trying to turn on his side. Pain shot through his lower back, thighs, and stomach, evoking a strained groan. Damn, it hurt so bad.  
“Hey, take it easy, I said,” Levi got up and assisted Eren’s feeble attempts. “I take it you had a rough night. Get some rest, alright? Can’t have you too pooped to pop when Officer Bodt gets here.” The nurse pulled the covers up over Eren, a compunction tearing through Eren’s heart. It had been so many years since he’d been tucked in. “There you go, Eren. I’ll be back soon.” And without another word, Levi left. The door opened and shut, leaving an uncomfortable silence around Eren. He fell into a fitful sleep.


	2. the dullest knife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren gives his statement to Officer Bodt. Levi doesn't leave the room. Oops.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning!!! Rape

"C'mon, brat, wake up." _That voice again. Levi. Yeah, Levi._  
"Eren, please don't make me pinch you." _Alright._

Eren's eyes fluttered open to see Levi, beautiful still, gently shaking his shoulders. Under the influence of sleep and pain medication, the sleepy brunette could barely feel the hands on him, but he flinched away when they finally registered. It made his heart beat too fast, felt too much like the previous night. But it was Levi; he wasn't going to hurt Eren. 

Eren turned his head to look out the window. The sky, blue before, was now a blazing orange streaked with vibrant red and purple. The sight was, of course, hindered by the shades, so Eren asked Levi to open them. The older man complied. His mouth was moving, but his voice was so soft that the words uttered couldn't be heard. 

"Officer Bodt is here to talk to you, Eren," Levi told him, voice now audible as he pulled the blinds up. "I'm going to fetch him-- stay here." It wasn't like Eren _could_ go anywhere, but the boy nodded nonetheless. He suddenly felt a pit in his stomach. He didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want to think about it. Hell, he didn't want to acknowledge that it happened. But now he was going to have to relay it to this "Officer Bodt" character, relive every second regardless of what actually made it out of his mouth, and Eren wished he could run away. Far away. 

A minute or so later, Levi reentered the room with a much taller man. Though his nurse was short (Levi couldn't have been more that 5'3"), Eren saw that this man was huge. He was a good seven inches, at the very least, taller than Levi, and sported short black hair with bangs that flopped down over his forehead. The man was peppered with freckles on every inch of visible skin, and his brown eyes were bright, cheery almost. If he looked close enough, though, Eren could see the mottled pattern of faded scars on the right half of Officer Bodt. It looked like somebody took a picture of crumpled up tissue paper, Photoshopped it over his right half, and lowered the opacity to near zero. Despite the marks, he was still very dashing-- Eren couldn't lie, this man was handsome. 

"Officer, this is Eren Jaeger," Levi said, motioning halfheartedly towards his patient. Eren shivered when Levi said his name. It still sounded lovely. 

"Hi, Eren," Officer Bodt smiled, forming happy crinkles at the edges of his eyes as he extended a hand for Eren to shake. "You can call me Marco, if you'd like. I'm just here to ask a few questions, alright?" Eren nodded and shook the offered hand weakly. Officer Bodt-- er, Marco-- took a seat in one of the guest seats and pulled a clipboard and pen out of the messenger bag he'd been carrying. It was brown with a few golden buckles on it. Even beneath the crisp blue uniform, Eren could see the quiver of Marco's right arm when he twisted across his rather wide chest to take out the clipboard, and the momentary shaking of his hand when he took the pen out of his left breast pocket. The muscles in that arm were still taught, hard to move. 

"Just a quick before-question," Marco clicked his pen and flipped to an empty page. "Is your father Grisha Jaeger?" Eren shuddered at that name. The name of the man who'd slapped him around and called him a faggot countless times. The name if the man who'd left his children alone after their mother had been cruelly stripped from their lives. The man who hadn't shed a single tear when they buried his wife. 

"Yeah, unfortunately," Eren replied, tone sharper than he'd intended. 

"Wait, like the doctor?" Levi asked,m as he fiddled with some substances he found in the cabinet. "He's, like, a legend in the medical field!"

"That's the only thing he can do well, is doctor," Eren snapped, obviously fed up with the conversation when it had barely started. Nobody continued it, thankfully. 

"Now, here's the hard part," Marco sighed. " I'm going to need you to recount what happened last night, okay?" 

"Okay," Eren breathed out slowly. This was it. "I was at a bar, and had just gotten a Coke. And this guy... He came up to me." Eren mangled the hospital bed's covers between his fingers, working the fabric mercilessly. "And he asked for..."

"You're alright, Eren," Marco assured him, scribbling down a few things of what he'd just heard. "You're safe now, okay? You won't get in trouble." Eren looked sheepishly at Marco, then gave a slight nod. 

"He asked my prices." Eren averted his eyes, feeling his face flush. He didn't usually talk about being a whore; it was just something that happened. Nobody spoke of it, but everybody in Wall Maria, the bar, knew about Jaeger. He was one of the best in town, people said. "And I told him. So, he asked me to leave with him, slipped me some cash. I did. We got outside, a-and then he pushed me into an alley." Eren was breathing harder now, like he'd done thirty jumping jacks-- not a lot, but enough to upset your breathing. He chanced a look at Marco, who gave him an encouraging smile. It was sympathetic, not chiding like he'd expected. "He started getting really physical. Pushed me against a wall and bit my neck." The sting of teeth scraping his neck raw suddenly lit Eren's skin. No. "Then he pinned me down. I told him to stop, that it wasn't what he'd paid for. I hate being pinned down. It's a big no-no, I tell clients. But he kept going." 

"You're doing well," Marco offered, trying to move the story along again. 

"He pulled off my pants, and then pinned me down again. He was so strong, God, he held both my arms with one of his. I kept telling him to stop, to let me go, but he didn't." Eren heard and felt his voice get thicker. He could feel each rough touch on his skin, the warm, disgusting breath in his ear, the breathy growls of his attacker. No. "And then he... did it." Here, Eren burst into tears. Sobs wracked his already sore body, though the meds he was on helped a lot. The brunette his his red face in his hands, wiping away the sticky trails of tears from his face frantically. A strong hand massaged his shoulder in a fatherly, comforting manner. Marco smiled sorrowfully at him. 

"I think I'll take my leave with this," Marco stood up, not taking his hand from Eren, and put his clipboard and pen away. He did it skillfully, for using one hand. "Thank you so much, Eren. You're so brave, and I know this is tough. I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully, okay?" Eren made an affirmative noise through his tears. He hadn't become such a mess in years, but thinking about that piece if shit _inside_ him had pushed Eren over the edge. The open and close of the door made Eren look up. Marco was gone, so now it was just him-- and Levi. 

Levi had been there the whole time.

Shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drama!! How will Levi react? Is his presence even legal? We just aren't sure.
> 
> This isn't beta'd, so please pardon any grammar/spelling mistakes. 
> 
> By the way, thanks so very much for all of the kudos and bookmarks! I really appreciate them :^)


	3. hate to see your heart break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi heard everything.

No no no no no. He could not have been there the whole time. There was just no way. Wasn't it supposed to be private when somebody relayed their "story" (for lack of a better word)? But there he was, standing in the little kitchen thingy, looking at Eren like a deer in the headlights. The tears were still streaming down Eren's face, so he wiped them away quickly. Two sniffles. Okay. He was done crying now. That didn't make him feel any less like disappearing, however, and the brunette hurriedly pulled the blankets up over his shoulders and hid his face. 

"Eren, you don't have to hide from me," Levi sauntered over to his patient's bedside. His voice was smooth, soft, and he said Eren's name again which made the boy blush harder than he already was. Levi was probably a good singer. His laugh was probably wonderful, too. 

"It's not like I have a choice," Eren sighed almost bitterly, relaxing a little beneath the covers. He stared out into the orange sky, above the green treetops (they must've been on the second floor at least) and off into nothing. A few stray tears trickled down his cheek, unnoticed until they reached his mouth. It was always sensitive there, and he wiped them away as subtly as he could. "You seem nice enough, though, so I don't think I would if I did have a chance." Eren's dull green gaze, once so fiery and passionate, flicked over his shoulder to find Levi's sympathetic eyes already on his. The man's mouth was pulled down a little at both ends in the most slight frown Eren had ever seen. The younger's lip quivered, pooching out ever-so-slightly when he started to cry again. 

Damnit. He was supposed to stop crying now. Eren made no noise, except when Levi sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Eren's head against his shoulder. He made a questioning whimper, as if asking permission to stay. Of course, Levi had initiated it, so he just clipped out a hum of affirmation. 

That voice again. Levi's neck vibrated against Eren's head, and it made the boy wonder about Levi's singing voice. Maybe he'd ask the nurse to sing one day. Probably not. Oh, well. The warmth from behind him and his post-breakdown crash made Eren's eyelids feel very heavy. He couldn't keep them up. 

Before everything went dark, Eren was gently placed back on his bed. He could hear his breathing slow down, and he missed having another so close. The slivers of vision disappeared as the brunette's eyes slipped shut. And before it all went silent, he could hear that smooth, soft voice, barely audible, singing. 

"And I, I hate to see your heart break. I hate to see your eyes get dark before they close, but I've been there before." 

It was beautiful, just like the rest of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren acts weird. So does Levi. I swear, it's only because of their back stories in this fic. Sorry if it's a little OOC. 
> 
> I really want to write a bunch of fluffy things for these two, but I'm not there yet. Probably wont be for a while. Also, I updated this yesterday, but don't expect such frequency when it comes to this. I'm a fairly fast writer, but I get block often and can't think of anything. My Tumblr is too-fabulous-for-this , so if you'd like to give me any prompts, critiques, head canons you have, hit me up!! I love getting asks :^)
> 
> Thanks for everything!!


	4. young and beautiful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi has a wonderful laugh, and a young yet mature face.

_"No, get off! Please, just leave me alone!" Eren squirmed beneath a tall, beefy man. He had jet black hair, slicked back with grease and motor oil. His wifebeater was stained with who-knows-what, and he smelled like gas and dirt and alcohol._

_"I'm getting what I paid for, you fucking whore," the man growled in Eren's ear, pulling the boy's undergarments off with ease. Eren feebly kicked out, writhing beneath the searing, greasy fingers of his attacker._

_"Please, no!" Over and over Eren screamed, screamed until his voice was hoarse. Until the man was done. By then, he was exhausted, too exhausted to go get help or to check his arms and lower half for severe injury or to even put his pants back on. No. This wasn't supposed to happen._

_Somebody saved him. He was there, shocked, real. Somebody had saved him._

_Help._

* * *

"Hey, calm down!" Levi snapped, though his voice was more scared than angry. Why was he scared? "You're sweating like a bitch. What's wrong? God, you look so scared." Eren blinked a few times. Levi was standing next to his bed, changing his IV bag. Once the job was done, he grabbed a broom that had been leaned against the wall. 

"You're in here a lot," Eren said. 

Levi shot him a queer look. "Yeah. What of it? You've only woken up twice... That's not a lot."

"Why?" Eren ignored that last part; it was like when he woke up, he could tell that the other had been in his room many a time. 

"Because I'm assigned to you, dumbass," Levi bit out. "They're doing some stupid test to see if having the same nurse do everything helps a patient out. And it saves faculty, if we have multi-skilled nurses. I'm surprised that you haven't met your doctor yet, though. She's always been very... exuberant when she visits."

Eren blinked some more. He noticed that Levi's scrubs were different from yesterday's. they were swirled with blue Nd green and yellow. It looked nice on him. Still beautiful. Eren smiled. 

"You look nice today," he commented before yawning. Then it hit him.   
"I really have to piss." 

Levi started laughing. It was bubbly, a giggle almost, but filled with pure amusement. Through his (extremely adorable) giggles, he fetched a bedpan. Eren wasn't well enough to get up and move yet, so he'd have to do him business in that. Even though he was kind of grossed out over the situation, Eren couldn't get over Levi's laugh. His beautiful laugh. Even if it was short, it was so perfect, so Levi. It was something that you'd never expect, but when it came around, it was like there was no other way. 

Once Eren finished, and it was done away with, Levi kept sweeping. _Scritch, scritch, scritch,_ went the bristles on the tile. It was like a metronome. Perfect in rhythm, something you could fall asleep to. Eren would've, too, but he wanted to stay awake. He was bored and scared and tired and excited. Everything last night had happened so quickly. Or, yesterday rather, as it had been two nights since the incident. 

"How old are you?" Eren asked. Levi did not look up from his work, but sighed. 

"Twenty-five."

"Really? You look more like twenty, or eighteen. Younger. Not twenty-five. Not that it's old, or anything. You just... don't look it. You look mature, though. Like you've seen way more shit than you should've seen at twenty-five. But, you do work in a hospital with little shits like me, so it's not surprising." Eren just kept babbling on, like he was disoriented or something. He talked in short, malformed sentences. It was how he almost always spoke to new people, however. Levi wasn't that special. 

"Thank... you?" How does one respond to that? 

"You also have a nice laugh. I'd like to hear it more." That dusted Levi's cheeks a rosy red. Cute. It even got him to look up from him sweeping. 

"Brat," he growled, though his tone was bashful and quiet as he resumed sweeping with renewed vigor. "Maybe."

Eren smiled. It seemed to have sapped all his energy, however, because then he fell asleep again. And it almost looked like Levi was smiling as his slight figure slipped beneath Eren's eyelashes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> c'mon c'mon c'mon fluff hurry up I wanna write you frick c'mon


	5. dead hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It gets kind of chilly in hospitals. And in lonely hearts.

Eren shivered beneath his thin hospital blanket. The dull green garment wasn't doing nearly enough to maintain a comfortable temperature. All the boy wanted to do was curl up with a comforter and pillow, like the ones he had at his old house. When he still lived with Mikasa. That felt like so long ago, though it had only been two years. Two years without somebody to make you scrub behind your ears or to hug you when your down, however, can feel like a lifetime. It was almost as if his like back at home was nothing more than a story he'd read a long time ago, the happenings dancing at the back of his mind with no real hold on his life. 

"Hey, brat," Levi hummed, entering the room rather cheerfully. Well, as cheerful as Levi could get. The man used 'brat' as an affectionate nickname and worked in a shitty hospital that was apparently colder than Antarctica. Eren turned his head to look at his nurse, and he smiled. He could tell, even from a distance, that Levi had gotten his hair trimmed. In addition to that, something black was wrapped up Levi's arm, embedded in his skin like a tattoo. Probably because it was a tattoo. 

"Nice ink," Eren commented, raising his hand ever-so-slightly for Levi to come over. The older complied with a chuckle, the slight upturn of lips not unnoticed by Eren. He grabbed the inked wrist and gently pulled it closer. Levi's left arm depicted two wings, one white and one blue, with intricate swirls of black around it. It reminded Eren of a bird trapped in a thorn bush, trying to escape but afraid to get hurt. It made him a little sad. "It looks like a caged bird. I like it."

"It could be a caged bird," Levi thoughtfully chewed on his lip before taking care of Eren's routinely needs. IV change, blood pressure, heart rate, etc. All the while, the older had this contemplative expression. It made Eren's tummy flutter, to see such a beautiful man with such an expression, caused by him no less. It had been a few days since he'd arrived, but Eren felt attached to Levi. Of course, he was practically waited on by the latter, but he felt like he was in for a change of pace. A welcome one. 

"It's kind of cold in here," Eren wiped his cheek with his palm, scratching his ear. He felt embarrassed. Sure, now he could get up and walk a little, but Eren couldn't get himself another blanket. 

"Do you want a blanket, brat?" Eren nodded. Levi disappeared into his room's closet (which was in a place that he couldn't see from the bed, next to the bathroom) and reappeared with a (much warmer-looking) blanket. 

Levi threw the blanket over Eren, going around and tucking it in perfectly around his patient afterwards. There was a maternal look in his eye that Eren noticed, and then it was realized that it had been too long since the younger had been shown this kind of attention. Gentle, sweet affection that Eren's heart had craved since his mother died. It might have been Eren's crush (yes, he admitted it to himself) mixed with his loneliness and/or his being on medication, but Eren started to cry. 

He didn't cry hard. They were happy tears, and Eren smiled, beamed, at Levi through the embarrassment. It made that ghost of a smile return to Levi's face when the younger choke-laughed a 'thanks'. 

"You're welcome, Eren. I'll be back soon." And then he was gone. Eren found himself wondering when Levi would be back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does this even look like it has a plot? I think it's just the style of fanfiction that makes it seem jumbled and messy, but this is going somewhere I promise. 
> 
> Un-beta'd, so please pardon any spelling mistakes. Thanks for reading!! (I hate typing on my iPod)


	6. stay (pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprise visit from a very special somebody is in order.

"Fuck, no," Eren growled, tensing up beneath his covers. His green eyes blazed with fury, but at the same time looked glazed over and stoic. The heart monitor beeped faster as adrenaline coarsed through Eren's veins, lighting his muscles on fire with the urge to run, run, _run_. "Keep him the fuck away from me."

"Eren," Levi's voice pleaded for a rational temper, but the fire inside of the boy wasn't quelled. "Your dad is gathering data on this experiment! That means he's visiting all of our subjects. Including you. But-" Eren was about to protest-" I'll be here the whole time. You won't be left alone with him for a minute. I promise." 

"Really?" 

"Really. He'll be here in an hour or so, I've been told." Eren had given Levi bits and pieces about his home life (or lack of one), and the nurse understood Eren's intense distaste for his father. Hell, after some of the stories, Levi wanted to punch Grisha in the face. Who the fuck abandons a mourning chid? Or two? And now the legendary doctor was examining the test about multi-skilled nurses. By the hospital's standards, it was moving swimmingly-- having the same person to acquaint yourself with set up a positive healing environment-- but they needed outside observation to prove it. How a heartless man like Grisha, who couldn't even observe his own childrens' well-being ,could gather data for a test like this was beyond Levi, but he was was no position to change anything. 

"Hey, can I have some apple juice, please?" Eren asked. The boy could function enough to walk now (thank God he didn't need a bedpan anymore), but of course, was not allowed to get his own food or drink. 

"I don't know, Jaeger. Can you?" 

Eren shot him a look of playful disdain and corrected himself. "Levi, would you please get me a fucking apple juice?" This earned a sharp look back. 

"Maybe not, with that attitude," Levi sniffed, tapping Eren on the head so lightly that the younger barely felt it. A ghost of a smile appeared on Eren's lips, for he was still upset about his father's visit, but he was glad that he had a cool guy like Levi kicking around. The man had a seemingly cold dimeanor, but was actually pretty lax and had the driest sense of humor he'd witnessed. He would listen when you needed to vent, knew just how to joke when you needed it, and basically had the most perfect laugh ever. Combined with his studly looks, Eren had developed quite the crush. It wasn't one of those giddy-nervous crushes-- no, he felt reassured and calm around Levi. He was somebody to lean on, to joke with. Sure, there were times when Eren wanted nothing more than to pull Levi onto his bed and smooch him senseless, but for the most part, Eren took pleasure in simply being around Levi. 

Eren curled up when Levi took off, presumably to get some apple juice. In this quiet room, he was undeniably bored. Levi helped him pass the time, but even then he was still itching to get up and move. His days prior to the incident had consisted mostly of walking around, but now he was just cooped up all day long. It sucked, to say the least. With all the anxiety swirling through his veins, Eren could use the excercise. But alas, he couldn't. 

Levi swooped back into the room just before Eren delved into thoughts of his father, an apple juice and green tea in tow. He tossed the juice to Eren, who tried to catch it but missed, and the bottle plopped onto his lap. He looked up at his nurse, who was already sipping his tea. His throat looked so charming when he drank, the Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed. It gave Eren an idea.

"Hey, heichou," Eren piped up, using the nickname he'd given Levi after seeing how he barked orders at the janitors when they came to help clean. As part of the experiment, Levi did most of the cleaning (he did a damn good job of it, too), but those actually hired to clean had to come in every so often to keep their jobs. "Let's play 'Never Have I Ever'." 

"Are you five?" Levi snorted, almost choking on a mouthful of tea. 

"No! I'm just bored." 

"I suppose it would be boring, cooped up in here all day." Levi pondered for a moment. "Sure, why not? You start."

Eren beamed, cracking open his juice. "Alright, alright. Um, never have I ever broken a bone." It seemed pretty fitting, considering they were in a hospital. Levi took a sip of tea, his Adam's apple bobbing when he swallowed. Cute. 

"Never have I ever eaten a whole carton of ice cream by myself. In one sitting." Levi added that last part after a moment's hesitation. Being a sibling, Eren never got a carton of ice cream to himself. 

"Never have I ever played Pokemon for over three hours straight." Levi, hesitantly, took another sip. Eren laughed. He didn't pin Levi as a Pokenerd. 

"Never have I ever listened to Brittany Spears of my own free will." Eren took a proud swig of apple juice. He wasn't ashamed-- she had some very danceable music. 

And so they went, back and forth, until their drinks were gone. Even then they kept playing, asking questions and simply stating that they'd done the task if they had. Eren learned a lot about Levi, and Levi of Eren. It soothed them both to have a good laugh over silly things ("Never have I ever peed in somebody's drink." [Eren drank to that; Jean was an asshole] "Never have I ever had a rap battle." [Levi drank-- even bragging about how amazed Erwin's face was when the short man won] and so forth). Eventually, however, Grisha Jaeger arrived at the hospital. It was a good hour, hour and a half maybe before the knock sounded at the door. Eren gulped loudly. The door opened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A semi-long chapter! I hope this has been worth the wait. I've been overwhelmed by school and real-life drama and such... But, next chapter, angst will sweep in!! So be prepared for another long chapter, and maybe a little insight into Eren's childhood. 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading this, and for all the kudos/bookmarks I've gotten :^)


	7. stay (pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren needs something to hold onto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: seizures (kind of)
> 
> I didn't know if that needed a tag or not

Grisha visibly stiffened when he laid eyes on Eren. Like a deer in the headlights. And those eyes. His eyes smoldered with emotion, though which ones burned behind them was undecipherable. His chocolate hair was still fairly long, but styled back neatly. The golden wire-framed glasses that sat on his bumped nose were the same as the last time Eren saw his father. And even in his blue-green scrubs that hung off his aging body loosely, he was still terrifying. 

"You," he growled, voice barely above a whisper. Eren pressed against the back of the bed, trying to disappear or die or pass out or _anything_ that would make him go away. The heart monitor _beep beep beep_ ed frantically, and Eren felt like crying. He gripped his blankets with white knuckles, and his face bore a look of hate and fear. 

"Doctor Jaeger," Levi interrupted the little stare-down. He stepped between father and son, brushing Eren's sheet-clad leg as he did so in an attempt to calm the young man down. It did, even if only a little. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. Levi Rivaille." The two shook hands. Eren wanted to slap his father away, scream at him for touching Levi. He wasn't worthy of Levi's touch. No. 

"Ah, I've heard so many good things about you, Levi," Grisha said with a tone of forced normalcy. "You're the best nurse here." He muttered something about talent being wasted, but the words were too quiet to hear. He took a seat on the chair farthest from his son, and Levi followed suit, though he sat closer to Eren. It evoked hurt that his own dad was disgusted by his so much. In all honesty, though, Eren was disgusted with himself, too. 

"So, how do you think this experiment is turning out? Any thoughts or opinions?" Grisha pulled out a clipboard and pen, poised to take notes on whatever Levi said. 

"Well, I've seen patients that have gone through things similar to Eren, though none quite so bad as he, and I've never seen such a quick recovery. The physical aspects aren't completely healed, but Eren's come a long way out of his shell in the few days he's been here." Levi turned to look at his patient, and gave him a quick smile. A real smile. Eren's tummy burst with butterflies because damn it all Levi just gave him the most genuine smile ever and it was so fucking _beautiful_. It was gone as quickly as it arrived, but the image was stuck inside Eren's head. Beautiful. "I'm proud of him."

"I see," Grisha chewed his pen thoughtfully, voice more restrained than before. He set his gaze on Eren once more, the emotion from before now replaced with dull stoicism. "So, how've you been holding up since your arrival?"

Eren was at a loss of words. He felt trapped, six feet beneath thoughts all crowding his head, dying to be let out but restrained because he just _could not speak_. In a fit of panic, he reached for Levi's hand, grasping the air aimlessly until the other got the message. His touch was warm, soft, and acted at a stone in the sea of emotion surging through Eren. Swallow. Breathe. Okay. 

"I've been bored as fuck, but great otherwise," he managed, voice cracking at every other syllable, it seemed. "Levi keeps me company and makes me laugh. Everybody else just makes me nervous." Except Hanji, maybe. His doctor was crazy about science, but she genuinely cared about her patients. Levi's hand tightened around Eren's, and it sent another wave of comfort through the boy. Breathe. Breathe. Okay. He noticed that their hands were out of Grisha's sight, but he felt nervous with the fact that his dad was in the room with the man he liked and they were holding hands and even if he couldn't see it it was still gay and Jaegers aren't gay what the fuck, Eren, you're going to hell. Eren choked on something, and it sent him into a fit if coughs. Levi shot up and leapt to his side, saying things that Eren couldn't hear because wow _he couldn't breathe_. 

Eren was dizzy now. Tired. Sad. He felt a hand on his forehead. It was so warm. And a voice. Levi. He was saying Eren's name. Beautiful. Eren closed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well that was fun, huh? 
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated! Thanks for reading this fic. I appreciate it so much. If you'd like, hit up my tumblr with prompts for other fics! (Any snk pairing, or for other animes that I watch/ mangas I've read; Soul Eater, Wolf's Rain, Shiki, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, and Heaven's Lost Property are a few) My URL is too-fabulous-for-this . Thanks again!!


	8. living in a state of dreaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit happens. 
> 
> (Sorry for the pace of updates-- I have too much stuff going on in real life, and I'm honestly sick of everything. I had some motive, though, so enjoy. I don't know when I'll update again)

Dogs. No, they were wolves. Wolves circled Eren, their eyes glinting with menace as they dragged their dirty paws across the cold dirt. They had him pinned down, by what force was unknown, because not a single mutt was touching him. A few did approach after a while, though, speaking jumbled words in human voices when they opened their muzzles. Behind the grey beasts, the sky was dark. Almost black. Terrifying. An eerie fog swirled around Eren's body, licking the wolves' fur and faces. Two came up to him left arm and nipped him-- just their front teeth pinched his skin, but they did it all up and down that same arm, each nip in a different place. 

Eren whimpered. He was so scared. Uncontrollable shivers of fear and pain erupted from the boy, and he couldn't seem to figure out how he'd gotten here. One wolf, this one with a russet cost and warm yellow eyes, laid down on his right. It pressed against his side, brushed its muzzle against his forehead, and crooned words that Eren still couldn't understand. They were English, though, and he knew that voice. That voice. And when he realized he knew the voice, the words started coming back to Eren. 

Abruptly, the russet wolf stood up and snarled at the other wolves. He told them to back off, though in his native tounge and not that of a human. Somehow, Eren understood this language better than the one he'd been raised with. The wolf chased the two at his arm away, biting their flanks with his sharp fangs. A few others made moves to approach the duo, but Eren's wolf, yes _Eren's wolf_ , chased each one away. 

When, finally, he turned his yellow gaze upon Eren, the boy could move. No longer did his limbs feel strapped down, pinned to the ground that now felt less like dirt and more like a mattress. The wolves all, save the russet one, ran into the rapidly receding darkness that was slowly morphing into yellow and white. The russet wolf sat down next to Eren's bed-- when did it become a bed?-- and put his paw on Eren's hand. But it didn't feel like a paw. And the less it felt like a paw, the quicker it looked more like a very pale hand that lead to a toned arm, marked with a drawing that still reminded Eren of a caged bird. That arm disappeared beneath a forest green set of scrubs that clothed a somehow simultaneously broad yet small chest, and when Eren's eyes followed the slender neck up to the square jaw, the dark, neat hair, and button nose of Levi, he noticed that yellow looked a lot more grey than he remembered. 

A smile. 

Eren closed his eyes.

* * *

"What the fuck happened to me?" Eren asked, though it sounded more like a statement. Everywhere hurt, though not as badly as it did a few nights prior. He felt absolutely drained, like those shitty wolves had shot lead into his veins with their bites. His eyelids were heavy, begging to droop, but Eren wanted to know what was up. All he knew was that he fell asleep during his interview with his dad. 

"You don't remember? That's not uncommon for people who have seizures--" Levi talked with such a casual voice, it almost seemed too steady. 

"Wa-wh-I had a fucking _seizure?_?" Eren gaped. The heart monitor sped up, and the young brunette wondered if he would have another. "I don't have seizures! You're kidding! I've-- no, no I can't believe that I--" 

"Eren, shut the fuck up," Levi cut him off (as Eren did to him) with a comforting voice. "You were under a lot of stress, I take it. Stress-induced seizures have happened before." Grey eyes, filled with concern, looked into Eren's own, the green in the younger's gaze scared and dark. "I understand that your dad and you never really had a good relationship, but you had a serious panic attack back there. Is there more than his disappearance that's bothering you?" Levi was sitting on the chairs along the bedside, leaning forward on his elegantly crossed legs. He rested his chin on one hand, the other draped off of his leg, dangling next to his knee. The dark circles beneath the older man's eyes seemed darker than usual, and his hair (though much neater than Eren's mop) seemed a bit different. Messier. Unkempt, by Levi's standards. 

"You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to, but I called in Officer Bodt. This is a big deal, especially if it's something involved with what I think it is." What did Levi think it was? Eren was nervous. What did Levi think of him? Sure, he acted civil towards Eren, but if he was assigned to the brat, then why not put up a nicer facade? For all Eren knew, Levi could hate him. No. That was unacceptable. He wanted to be liked, loved if he was being bold, by Levi. Being taken care of by that nurse, even if he had to, was the first major act of kindness he'd recieved in a long time. Longer than he cared to admit. And it felt good. Sure, clients would often let him stay the night if they hired him late enough, and the exceptionally nice ones even gave him extra money(though that had only happen once or twice). 

"I guess," Eren mumbled, though the question of "what do you really think of me?" was on the tip of his tounge. His answer wasn't really what the question-- statement, rather-- prompted, but Levi accepted it. After a fairly long pause, Eren asked," What happened to my dad?" Levi's pitying expression only softened more at the query. 

"He left, claiming he'd gathered enough data," Levi sighed. He stood up, stretching his back out, locking his arms behind his head as he did so. His shirt rode up, exposing that stomach that Eren longed to trace with his finger, right up to the chest that he wanted so badly to rest his head on. It would be warm and comfortable, with Levi's arm slung around Eren, pulling him closer, closer, closer, whispering things against the soft skin of his neck. Wait-- stop. Eren couldn't think of Levi-- of anybody-- like that. He was a whore. Whores didn't deserve to be loved so wholly like that. 

"Get some rest," Levi said softly, now satisfied. He ruffled Eren's hair, fingers ghosting over the brown strands that flopped into the boy's eyes. 

"You, too," Eren told him, craning his neck to press against Levi's hand. "You look fucking beat." Levi chuckled. What a lovely sound. 

Eren looked at the clock. It was a little past the eleven, and through the cracks of the shades, he could see darkness. It was late. 

"Goodnight, Eren."

"Goodnight, Levi."


	9. crash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> angst angst angst
> 
> also fluff

"Eren," Marco was pleading with Eren to find out what was bothering him. "Eren, c'mon, I need you to tell me. It can't get better if you don't."

"Nothing is wrong-- nothing needs to get better," Eren growled, though that was the biggest fucking lie he'd ever told. Everything needed to get better. Nothing was okay. He was in a hospital for who-knows-how-long, a police officer trying to make him squeal about his dad, tended to by an unfairly attractive nurse, traumatized by a rape. Rape. Yes, that's why he was there. Because some piece of shit decided to violate him, as if he weren't any more human than Marco or Levi or, fuck, even his dad. He wished it on nobody. 

"You know what? I'll come back when you're ready, okay? Good day, Eren," Marco huffed, standing to leave. He'd been remarkably ruffled during the visit, presumably over something personal. The officer was usually kind and patient and gentle, but he'd been scattered and anxious on that particular day. It didn't help the cold trepidation that clamped down on Eren's stomach. It couldn't be that good a day if even the happiest of people, like Marco, were pissy or anxious. Eren squeezed his eyes shut hen the door closed rather loudly. 

They wanted to know about his dad, what he did to Eren. That was a long time ago, though. They couldn't do anything about it now, could they? (They was very vague, be it the police or simply venting to Levi or anything)

Eren got out of bed and paced back and forth, his feet cold on the tile, body shivering from the sudden temperature difference; he wanted his blanket again. But the blood drumming in his ears, the pent up anxiety in his veins needed to be relieved somehow. Pacing always helped. 

He thought about his dad.

* * *

_The door clicked shut behind Eren, keeping out the bitterly cold fall air. His home was a little warmer than outside was, a welcome change of temperature after he'd walked all the way home. His first day of ninth grade had gone swimmingly-- all of his teachers seemed pretty nice (save Mr. Keith, his science teacher), he had lunch with a bunch of his friends, and he'd finally done it. He'd asked Armin, his childhood best friend, to be his boyfriend. Armin was tiny and adorable, his chin-length blonde hair perfectly framing his rosy cheeks and bright blue eyes. God must've lost an angel, because he was the best person Eren had ever met_ ever. _He could remember how those gorgeous blue eyes lit up when the question was delivered. "Yes, yes, yes," he'd said, latching onto Eren's waist. It was adorable._

_Armin had always been there for Eren, especially when his mom died. His father was no help at all, and Mikasa had become rather stoic after the incident. There were a few rare times when she'd smile widely or laugh, but those times were few and far between. When Eren told her about he and Armin, she'd given him a big smile, a hug, even. The day couldn't have gotten better._

_So it got worse._

_Eren plopped down on the ratty couch in the living room, feeling the tan material beneath his fingers. He loved how when you rubbed different ways, it turned darker or lighter. So he drew a smiley face, albeit a terrible one, but one so screwed up it made him laugh at himself. And then the door clicked, clinked as the lock was opened. The nanny that cared for them was doing laundry across the house in the bathroom. There was only one person who that could be._

_Eren wiped away his art and vaulted over the couch's back, clearing it like it was nothing at all. He was too late, though, as his dad stormed in right before he made it to his room. That voice haunted him._

_"Well, if it isn't my little faggot son," Grisha growled, an animalistic noise in the man's throat. Eren whipped around, eyes ablaze with fury. How fucking dare he say that. Faggot. What an ugly word. Like it was some kind of disease._

_"Nice to see you too, you damn drunk," Eren snapped, sensing his father's intoxication. Why would he bother to visit if he wasn't too drunk to function properly? It was an amazing feat that he didn't die trying to drive to the tiny house._

_"You piece of shit!" Grisha practically pounced upon his son, having the freshman pinned to the ground, at the mercy of his fists in practically no time at all. Though sluggish in form, the blows were painful to the skin, and deadly to the heart. His dad didn't give two shits about Eren. And it hurt. So badly. Worse than the nicks in his skin, all over his face and torso and arms, he was dying to be really loved by somebody._

_Armin. He had Armin. But that next day, when he went to school, Armin wasn't there. That little ball of sunshine had been jumped on his way home from school by a group of wannabe thugs, people from his class who really just wanted power. He was a quarter of a mile away from home when he bled out. He was an eighth of a mile from Eren's house. They'd usually walked together, but Armin had stayed back for a little while to help tutor his friend Sasha. Eren would've stayed, too, but he had to take out his dog, Annie. She never did go for a walk (she ended up peeing on the couch)._

_And that's when Eren's downfall seemed to be set in stone._

* * *

Levi walked in on Eren sobbing, broken down further that he'd ever witnessed. He was sitting on the floor, back against the bed, knees drawn up to his chest as he tried to muffle his crying with his arm. He had red marks on his arms where he'd clawed at the skin until it was raw, though not hard enough to draw blood. Levi hadn't thought Eren was a self-mutilator-- no burns or cuts or bite marks-- but he only ever scratched himself. He just did it a lot. It made him feel alive, something beyond the euphoria of sex that had stopped impressing him long ago. 

When Levi kneeled next to Eren, pulled him close, all the boy did was press his face into Levi's shoulder and repeat how sorry he was between wet, ragged breaths. The scrawny arms of Eren searched aimlessly for something to hold onto, to anchor him, and they found their way around Levi's waist. Even though Eren was tall and fairly muscled, Levi couldn't help to think how very _small_ Eren looked. He was a broken boy. Abandoned first, then accepted by friends only to push them away when their affection was all he really wanted. He needed it, craved some kind of affection because, dammit, he was fucking lonely. With Mikasa the Social Recluse being his only real family/friend/social outlet, he didn't have a whole lot. But now, Levi had walked into Eren's life, gave him a shoulder to lean on, and tried to help him like nobody else had before. Sure, his therapists and guidance counselors tried to help, but they did it half-heartedly, and it didn't fix the wound in Eren's heart at all. In fact, they'd made it worse, because they couldn't even do their job and give him some kind if support. 

"You're okay," Levi murmured into the top of Eren's head, shushing him softly and running his fingers through Eren's greasy hair. Then he started singing. Eren froze. 

" _She asked me,'Son, when I grow old,  
Will you buy me a house of gold?  
And when your father turns to stone,  
Will you take care of me?_"

Eren was shaking, reveling in the beauty of Levi and his voice and just how did he ever meet such a perfect man? 

" _I will make you  
King of everything you see.  
I'll put you on the map,  
I'll cure you of disease.  
_  
" _And since we know that dreams are dead,  
And life turns plans up on their heads.  
I will plan to be a bum,  
So, maybe, I'll become someone _

_"I will make you  
King of everything you see.  
I'll put you on the map,   
I'll cure you of disease._"

Eren had melted into the shape that was Levi, molded perfectly to lean his head against Levi's shoulder and be able to hug him from the side and to hear that _lovely_ singing voice. Lovely. When Levi's fingers had moved through his hair, it was as if every bone in Eren had been taken out. He looked at Levi. 

"Please, don't leave me," Eren's voice was low, cracking on 'leave'. 

"What?" Levi asked, looking at Eren like he had three heads. 

"I've never felt so comfortable, so cared for by anyone. Please don't leave me. Not yet. I couldn't take it, I swear, I couldn't." He sounded like he was going to cry again, so Levi just pulled him closer. 

"Okay, okay, kid. Lets get you back into bed." 

"Okay."


	10. on my mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY I GOT GROUNDED but have some stuff im so sorry

"Well, Eren," Levi started, holding a clipboard in his hands. "Your blood tests came back. You're fine. We even checked for some STDs and stuff, given your line of work, and you're completely clean. And that means that you can check out today." The short man looked over his patient, who was a bit shaky this morning. Eren had gotten little sleep, thanks to the little mishap the night prior, so he was a bit of his game. Levi took pity on Eren; the poor kid was from a broken home to begin with, and then with a mother's death and a practically nonexistent father, he took off and became a prostitute, of all things. Levi knew that he didn't really want to sell his body. The boy was miserable. It made the nurse's heart break. 

Eren's eyes went wide. He was scared. With good reason. Levi had seen countless rape patients, and they'd all been terrified of going back into the world, but most of them had families that they could turn to. Eren had cut himself off from everybody that he had ever been close to; he was alone. They always said the same things. "What if I see them again?" "I can't do this." "I'm so scared." But Eren said nothing. It was all in his eyes, those wide green pools that darkened with fear at the thought of going back onto the streets. He couldn't feel safe. Ever. How could he trust anybody? In the prostitute business, however, it wasn't about trust. It was about sex. 

"You don't have anywhere to go, correct?" Levi asked. He sat in one of the hospital chairs adjacent to Eren's bed. The boy had pulled his knees to his chest, wrapped his arms around the lanky limbs. He shook his head no, expression blank. "Then you're going to stay with me." There was some emotion. Shock, relief, questioning, bashfulness... Everything showed in his body language, on his face. Levi had become quite adept at reading people through the years of hospital work. 

"What? I can't-- I couldn't possibly," Eren stammered, face flushing. He looked down at his stomach as he spoke. "You have enough shit to deal with without having to take me in. I can't impose myself upon you." The boy's whole body tensed. He was scared of working the corner again, but he didn't want to bother Levi. 

"Did you offer?" A head shake. "Then it's not imposing yourself on me. You don't have anywhere to go, and there's no way in hell that I'm letting some piece of shit touch you again. You don't deserve some shitty life of working the corner and having fuck-ups do _things_ like _that_ to you. You deserve so much better than that, and I'm going to help you get there. You're worth it, Eren." Levi had soft eyes as he talked to Eren, and the boy found it in him to meet his nurse's eyes. "Now, I get of shift at noon today. It's nine thirty now. Can you wait half an hour?" A nod. "Good. Now, let's get you out of this shithole."

* * *

Levi's apartment wasn't a very long walk from the hospital, but he seemed a bit tuckered out by the time he brought Eren back to it. He had taken a different route, seeing the route he normally walked passed that shit bar that Eren was found near. Better not relive it. When they approached the run-down building that Levi's apartment was in, both seemed relieved. Eren had been on edge the entire walk, bumping into Levi occasionally as he tried to keep an eye out for _him_. Then, the boy would apologize, and the nurse told him not to, that it was fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was going to be longer, but then I read this /really/ depressing thing by one of my friends and just couldn't continue. There will be a big plot twist soon, though. Just so y'all can brace yourselves. Thanks so much for the kudos and comments. They really keep me going. I'll try to have the next chapter up soon <33 Thanks for reading!


	11. rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past couple months have been rough. Please, bear with me. I'm trying to write longer chapters, but when I feel shitty, I write short chapters.  
> Eren and Levi interact more. 
> 
> "Rain" by Breaking Benjamin

_Please stop, please stop, please stop,_ Eren pleaded the tears to go away as he lay curled up on Levi's couch. He'd had another nightmare and didn't feel like waking up his gracious host at two in the morning for stupid shit like that. In the dream, not only had his attacker come back but his father and they both beat him silly. It was terrifying. But he needn't bother Levi. 

Eren scraped his short fingernails down his arms, down his neck, across his thighs. After promising his sister to never cut again, scratching was the closest he could come to relief. He didn't want to rely on pain for comfort, but the nagging in the back of his head, the aching need for something to slice his skin assaulted his conscience whenever something went wrong. And he knew it wasn't okay, but Eren didn't know how to make it stop otherwise. 

"Eren, you're okay," Levi's gentle voice appeared through the darkness, making Eren jump a little. He breathed a few shaky breaths before curling back up. "Nobody's going to hurt you, okay? Not while I'm around." A soothing hand found its way to Eren's back, rubbing small circles into the soft sweater that clothed him. Unconsciously, the boy found himself pressing into the touch, longing for a comfort that wasn't pain. 

"Thank you," Eren sniffed. It had been two days in Levi's house and the man had treated him well, buying him clothes, letting him sleep on the (rather comfortable) couch, giving him plenty of food. Most of all, though, Eren liked the company. On the streets, he didn't get much company besides some in the sheets, but that doesn't could as real company. They could talk about the weather (it had been rainy, and Levi was happy; he liked the rain) or animals (Levi wasn't a big fan, seeing they make messes galore) or food (everybody loves food). It was nice. 

"Don't mention it, kid," Levi told him softly, giving his hair a quick ruffle before heading back to his room. The soft creaks of the man's feet on the floor, how they got softer as he moved away, made Eren sad somehow. Not the kind of upset-sadness that he'd felt before with the dream, which was mostly fear, but a somber, simple discomfort in his chest. Eren didn't think much of it and tried to go to bed.


	12. fix you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren discovers one of Levi's secrets. 
> 
> (Been really busy, but I'm trying to post more often!! And now we're getting closer to the fluff hell yes)  
> tw: anorexia

It was a fairly warm day, the cloudy skies drizzling rain upon the residents of the city Trost. Eren and Levi were taking the day to just relax; it was a Saturday and the nurse had taken it off. Their walk around Rose Park had gotten rained out, but their spirits were still high. Being around Levi had done wonders for Eren's mood, and though he still had a fragile psyche, he was slowly healing. That day was the first time since the incident that Eren had been able to semi-comfortably be out and about. He had been basically glued to Levi's side the whole time, but the older man didn't really mind. In fact, he sort of enjoyed it, actually. He had developed feelings for Eren whilst the boy was under his care. Eren was just so broken, but Levi could see bits of the old Eren, the real Eren, shine through every so often. He was determined to see more of that happier, more relaxed boy that had the smile of an angel. 

The two were in a cafe not far from the park. Eren took in the intoxicating smell of caffeine, letting the warmth of the shop envelop him. Levi browsed the menu; if they were going to hide from the rain, they might as well get something while they were there. 

"You want anything?" Levi asked, poking Eren in the arm to get the boy's attention. Eren jumped a little, but nodded enthusiastically. He bashfully asked for a hot cocoa, and Levi ordered one for himself, too. They got their drinks, and by the time they were done (though Levi had given some of his to Eren claiming that he was full), the rain was still pouring down. 

"Dammit, I have work to do," Levi muttered. "We'll have to walk home." It was around two thirty in the afternoon, but Levi had put off doing the week's paperwork and had a lot to do. Unfortunately, neither of the two had worn jackets. Levi had a white button-up shirt on and a pair of jeans, and Eren had a thin grey hoodie over a white t-shirt with a pair of jeans. A little rain wasn't going to kill them, but wet jeans are a pain in the ass. 

The duo left the safety of the cafe, half-jogging all the way to Levi's apartment. It was only a few blocks away, but both were pretty winded by the time they got back. They were both thoroughly soaked, too. Levi hurried to unlock the door and they both rushed inside. First off, Levi took off his shoes. 

"Fuck no, I am not dealing with wet clothes," the nurse seethed, peeling wet denim off of his pale legs. At the sight of his blue boxers, Eren's face flushed, but when Levi took off hs shirt, Eren didn't know what to think. Most of Levi's ribs were visible, his stomach was impossibly thin, especially at belly button level. Eren gasped softly, too softly for Levi to hear over his own complaining and whipping of clothes. As soon as the offending articles were off, the short man swiftly walked into the bathroom, threw his clothes in the hamper, and then headed to his bedroom. Eren took off his sweatshirt and shoes, dropping his sweatshirt into the hamper before walking after Levi. He had pants on now, but Eren could see all of his ribs as he pulled a soft blue t-shirt over his head. 

"Levi," Eren whispered. Levi turned around, a confused look on his face. 

"What?" 

"Your... You... I could see all of your ribs." Levi looked down. "Why, why would you do that?" Come to think of it, Levi never had eaten much. Neither had Eren, but he'd been through such a shitstorm that he hadn't noticed Levi's peculiar eating habits. 

"I don't want to talk about this," Levi muttered, his voice distant. He turned away from Eren, passively swiping to close his door. Of course, Eren walked right in. He wasn't going to let this go. 

"No, Levi, you don't get it," Eren pressed, somehow getting in front of Levi and taking both of his hands. "I need to know why you're doing this. You can't just drop this." Levi's eyes met Eren's, cold and grey. They were somewhere between angry and desperate, and even though it took every fiber of Eren's being to run away from that God-awful stare, he couldn't stand to see that, to know that such a great guy was starving himself like that. 

"Because," Levi spat, trying gently to pull away from Eren. 

"Levi, please." 

"Because I don't want to be fat anymore!" Levi hissed, tugging his hands away from Eren. "I can't stand this-this _fat_ on me, God, I look terrible." He squeezed imaginary flab on his waist, but even with the loose t-shirt on, Eren could see that there was really nothing there. 

"No, please don't say that," Eren told him, a very sad smile on his face. "You know what? I've never met anyone, _anyone_ more lovely than you. You're so nice, you've got a great voice, you always make shit better, and you're beautiful. Fucking _beautiful_. I don't want to see you like this, yeah? I mean, I know I've only known you for a week or so, but I really hate seeing you like this. Like, this is a big deal. And I want to help you. Can I?" 

Levi was in shock. He just had this nervous, sad, absolutely shocked look on his face. He trusted Eren, he did, but he didn't see why not wanting to be fat was such a big deal. But that earnest look on Eren's face, the tears pooled at the edges of his eyes, made Levi nod ever so slowly. He called Levi lovely, beautiful, even. So when Eren hugged him with ferocity, quietly crying into his shoulder, he just let it happen. He even hugged back, nuzzled against The cool skin of Eren's neck. 

"I'm gonna take care of you now, okay?"

"... Okay."


	13. riptide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As much as I hate reading angst, I love writing it. 
> 
> Tw: death/cutting/flashbacks/triggers  
> (Can I give a trigger warning for somebody being triggered? Because I am)

"Eren, just leave me alone," Levi growled, pulling his pants up, zipping the fly and buttoning them. Eren had been pestering him to rest for the past twenty minutes or so because he had a fairly nasty cold, and while the intentions were good, it was fucking annoying. Levi had been sneezing a lot and had been eating less than he normally did, his throat was sore and he wasn't in the mood for anything. Normally, he would've been fine with Eren's pestering, but his lack of health left him more sour than usual. 

"Levi, please, you need to take it easy," Eren's muffled voice whined from behind the bedroom door. Dull scratches on the door could be heard, but Levi paid them no mind as he pulled on a loose sweatshirt. Eren continued to plead as the short man pulled on his socks and shoes. In fact, he was still blathering as the bedroom door swung open and the object of his pleading ducked around him. 

"What're you doing?" Eren asked as Levi headed towards the door. Levi noticed that he visibly paled. 

"I just need some fresh air," he replied, voice tense as he restrained his annoyance. "I know you're only trying to help but I can't--"

"You can't go." Eren's green eyes were wide, his voice quiet. He took a step towards Levi. "Please."

"No, Eren, I need a break." He sneezed. "I'll be fine." Levi opened the door, took a step out. 

"Please, don't go!" Eren practically sobbed as the door shut and he was left alone.

* * *

Levi looked at the sky, taking in the vibrant red and purple clouds as he walked down the street. He took a deep breath, in and out, and could feel himself relax a little. He couldn't figure out why Eren was so stressed about him leaving. Sure, he didn't want Levi's cold to get any worse, but the weather had been fair as of late, and he couldn't get much worse. It played at the back of Levi's mind, how Eren had been on the verge of tears as he closed the door. He would head back home as son as he was calm enough. Levi sneezed.

* * *

When Levi arrived home, he wasn't prepared for what he saw. The couch cushions were strewn about the living room, the bowl where the duo kept pocket change and their keys and such was on the floor, lying atop the things it had formerly held. All of the lights, save the kitchen and bathroom, were off. Muffled sobs were heard from the bathroom. 

"Eren?"Levi called, his voice cracking. He stumbled across the living room, tripping over a cushion in his haste, and made his way into the bathroom. He found Eren in the empty bathtub with a bottle of Advil and a kitchen knife. Immediately, Levi snatched the bottle and knife. The bottle was empty, but he remembered that there were only a few pills in there. He'd been meaning to buy another bottle for a while. He returned his attentions to Eren. 

He was naked except for his boxers, a grey pair. He had fresh cuts on his thighs and sides, oh, his skinny sides. The skin was irritated and red around the wounds; there weren't a lot, but they were sort of deep from what Levi could tell. The boy covered his eyes as he sobbed quietly. Levi dropped to his knees beside the tub. Eren's eyes cracked open. They went wide when they finally registered who was there, and in seconds the two were smashed together, courtesy of Eren. 

"You're alive ohmygodyourealive," Eren repeated as he buried his nose into Levi's neck, ran his fingers through the soft, black hair. Eren weakly pulled them closer, closer, just trying to make sure that it was real. 

"Holy fuck, Eren, what happened?" Levi whispered hoarsely, hugging Eren back. He made sure not to touch any cuts. 

"I-I-I thought you were gone, I thought you were gone," he cried, shaking in Levi's arms. 

"Why? Eren, I've gone on plenty of walks before and I've always been fine!" Levi sniffled, gently massaging Eren's shoulders. 

"It's just that when-when I was little, my mom and I got in a fight and she left to go for a drive a-and she never fucking came back." Eren had him in a painfully tight grip, nosing Levi's neck as his crying came back full-force. "Sh-she got into a c-car accident and the last thing I told her was that she wasn't trying hard enough. But all she did was try to make it work and dammit I didn't tell her I loved her! Fuck, Levi, please don't leave me!" Eren pulled back and kissed Levi fiercely. He just pressed his lips against Levi's like nothing else mattered because nothing else did. And Levi pressed back. 

Fresh tears streamed down Eren's face as they pulled apart, and he just pressed against Levi's neck again. He needed to feel him, to smell him, to just make sure that it wasn't some cruel trick. Levi just buried his nose in Eren's hair. 

"We're okay, I'm okay," the nurse murmured into the greasy brown mop. "We've gotta clean you up, though, okay?" Eren gave a whine and pressed closer to Levi. "Eren. C'mon, please. I need to clean you up." He stoop up awkwardly, pulling away from Eren who gave a cry, reached out to him. Levi helped the other up, and gave him a warm smile. "We're gonna be okay," he murmured against Eren's throat, pressing a kiss there because it was all he could reach. He sneezed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This had a shit ton if sad stuff in it, but now I can start writing fluff. It was a rocky, thirteen chapter road, but now we're here. 
> 
> If you'd like, you can send me prompts for this or other fanfiction a at my tumblr (too-fabulous-for-this). Thanks for the comments and kudos! I appreciate them :^)


	14. don't you go down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clean-up
> 
> tw: cutting (or the aftermath of it)

Levi had Eren sat on the bathroom sink. He looked much like a young child, red nose and eyes, very upset with himself. He had _promised_ Mikasa that he wouldn't cut himself anymore, yet there he'd gone and tore himself a new one all along his right side and thigh. The wounds stung, but that was nothing compared to how disappointed he was in himself for making Levi leave, for breaking his promise, and just in general. If he was being completely honest with himself, he hadn't turned out all that well as a person. Fuck, he was a prostitute with anger issues and a severe case of self-loathing. He'd dropped out of high school, (in his head) killed his mother, disappointed his dad, and abandoned basically all of his friends. How much lower could he have sunk? 

Levi maneuvered around the cramped bathroom, getting a washcloth, a lot of gauze, medical tape. Once he'd gathered everything, the man set to work cleaning Eren up. He got a corner of the washcloth wet with lukewarm water and very gently wiped the blood from the cuts. Eren squirmed beneath the rough cloth, but made no other protests. While he worked, there was a heavy silence between the two. It wasn't until Levi started cleaning Eren's thigh that it was broken. 

"Are you okay, Eren?" Levi asked, eyes not leaving his work. His voice was worried, tired, and kind of sad. Eren didn't trust himself to speak, so he just gave a I-don't-really-know grunt. Levi sighed and finished. He took the dry part of the cloth and patted Eren's side and thigh dry, still being very careful. "I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you. I should've stayed, I just, I didn't know what happened or what would happen and I'm sorry." Eren noticed that Levi's voice was shaking. He was very worried about Eren. 

"You shouldn't be," Eren said, voice thick and resigned. "Like, it's not your fault. At all. I just have a habit of... I don't know, overreacting to shit like this. You've taken such good care of me, and this is what you get in return." He laughed, hollow and tired. " _I_ am sorry. You shouldn't have to deal with this bullshit."

Levi placed a large patch of gauze over Eren's side, making sure that the cuts were all covered, and carefully taped it up. He did the same with Eren's thigh. 

"You blame yourself for your mom's death." It wasn't a question. "It wasn't your fault, though. If you weren't driving the other car, then it wasn't your fault. And I'm okay, yeah? So just, just don't blame _any_ of this on yourself. Please." Levi finally made eye contact, and Eren felt his heart break. Tears pooled at the edges of those steel grey eyes, threatening to spill over. The dark circles beneath those eyes, his bright red nose, his quivering lip, it all made Eren just want to hold him close and never let go. 

"I'm sorry," Eren choked out. He wrapped his legs around Levi's waist and pulled him close, pulling him into a hug. Levi reveled in the warmth of Eren's skin, the way his heart hammered in his chest because that meant he was still alive, and that made Levi very happy. 

"Dammit, Eren, don't scare me like that," Levi whispered shakily, pulling Eren off of the counter by the waist. The boy landed semi-gracefully and went towards the couch. He definitely needed some sleep. Levi was cleaning off the counter, but he called out "No way am I letting you sleep alone tonight. Just lemme finish this up." 

After it was cleaned to Levi's satisfaction, he lead Eren into his room. It wasn't that big, a queen sized bed to the right as soon they walked in. Eren sat down on it while Levi got changed into some pajamas, a slightly-too-big t-shirt and some flannel pants. He tossed Eren a pretty big shirt that Levi's friend had left at his house after a party one night. Eren couldn't begin to imagine Levi at a party, let alone hosting one, but he pulled the grey shirt over his head. The two wiggled under the covers and curled up close to each other. 

"I'm sorry," Eren croaked after they'd settled. He was facing Levi but couldn't distinguish the other's face in the dark. 

"I know. I'm here for you, yeah?" Eren gave an affirming noise. Levi hummed with content and pulled Eren closer, running his fingers through Eren's greasy locks. He started humming, very softly. It was a tune Eren had heard before, though he didn't know where from, but it made him want to cry. Silent tears slipped down his face as the man he'd fallen for hummed a tune that he couldn't recall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The thing Levi hums is "Northern Downpour" by Panic! At The Disco. It's a great song!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are appreciated. I hope you have a great day.


	15. when i wake up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi's POV again, the next morning.

Levi's eyes fluttered open, the man squinting against the bright light that suddenly assaulted his sleepy eyes. He went to stretch, but then he registered the gangly arms wrapped around him and vaguely noticed that there were long legs wrapped around his own two, as well as his waist. Them, once he could finally open his eyes for more than a few seconds at a time, he looked at Eren. 

He looked so peaceful when he slept, almost like he didn't have a panic attack last night. Levi had an arm on Eren's waist, courtesy of the kid's awkward sleeping position, and he could feel the gauze on his side. Gentle fingers ghosted over the fabric, as Levi was careful not to wake Eren. He needed the sleep. Craning his neck to peek over the mass of tan teenager, Levi examined the gauze's condition. Well, he tried to, but there's only so much that one can do while practically being smothered by a tall gangly boy who's got at least half a foot on you height-wise. From what he could tell, the gauze did need to be changed, but not immediately. 

Levi sighed. "Don't scare me like that again, you little shit," he mumbled, using the hand that wasn't tangled up in Eren to get his phone off of his nightstand. With a bit if fumbling, he managed to grab it. He used Eren's back, slipping his trapped hand up underneath Eren's arm, as a table as he checked his social media and whatnot. While scrolling through Facebook (which he didn't know why he had one. He had, what, seven friends?), a little _bloop_ sounded. Hanji messaged him.

**Hanji Zoe: Wow, somebody got up late. I can't believe you.**

Levi wondered about what the hell that meant for a moment. The first thing he did most mornings was check his Facebook (a habit?), so Hanji must've calculated his waking time by when he gets on. That was kind of creepy.

**Levi Rivaille: Don't be creepy. Why does it matter, anyways?**

**Hanji Zoe: I've never seen you get online later than 6, and it's at least 10:30 right now. So either you found some magical sleeping pill or you got laid. Spill the beans >:)**

**Levi Rivaille: can... Can you not?? Neither of those things happened, shitty glasses. Now leave me alone, I need to get ready.**

Hanji, of course, did not stop bothering him. She sent a bunch of messages, all of which Levi ignored while he scrolled through his newsfeed. God, Erwin shared a lot of stuff. Once he finished, he clicked his phone shut only to reopen it to check the time. It was almost eleven. Probably about time to wake Eren up. Levi put his phone back down with some seriously skillful twisting and then began to gently shake Eren with his free hand. 

"Eren," he said softly, shaking the boy. "Hey, Eren, get up. Please. It's, like, eleven o'clock, you little shit." It took a little while, but he eventually got the sleepyhead to stir. Eren first hugged Levi closer (and didn't that send the older man's cheeks aflame) before letting him go completely and stretching out. Levi took the opportunity to roll off of bed and away from Eren's clutches. When he saw slivers of green between dark eyelids, Levi knew that he wouldn't have to attempt any more wake-ups this morning. "Alright, get up. I'm gonna go make breakfast. Be careful about your side, too." And with that, he walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. 

His kitchen wasn't very big, given the size of the apartment, but it was just right for Levi. He didn't often entertain guests, and when he did they usually ate out, so space was never really and issue. The man hummed a tune as he grabbed some eggs from the fridge and a bowl to mix in. Carefully, he cracked the eggs on the counter and put the yolks and whites into the bowl along with a little bit of milk. Then, he grabbed wire wisk and beat the eggs together, forming a smooth, yellow liquid. After some searching in the cupboards above the tiny sink, Levi found a proper sized pan and put it on the stove, started a little fire. He put some butter in the pan, and then poured his eggs inside. All the while, of course, he was still humming to an obnoxiously catchy song he'd heard on the radio one too many times, so he didn't realize that he had an audience. When Levi fetched a spatula to tend to the eggs with, he heard a little voice peep up. 

"Those smell really good," Eren squeaked, rubbing his eye. Levi spun around, a little surprised at first, but then shot his guest a ghost of a smile. He kept working, scrambling the eggs with little care, keeping the tune only in his head now. He worked on making his kick-ass scrambled eggs while Eren focused on not falling back asleep (which was harder than it looked). When Levi was finally done, Eren was just about drooling with how good they smelled. The man had sprinkled pepper and salt over them along with a little cheese and something red that he couldn't quite decipher. Once it was dished out on two different plates, they dug in. Levi ate almost all of his portion, and Eren was visibly glad to see him eating more, even if it was a minute difference. Baby steps, he supposed. 

After the plates were cleared and all was finished, Levi put the dishes in the sink and flopped onto the couch. Eren sat near his feet, as that's where there was room (it was adorable how even sprawled out, Levi didn't take up the whole couch).

"You know," Levi started, "I thought that I was going to work today, but I _really_ don't feel like it. I'm gonna call in today. Is that alright?" He lifted his head to peek down at Eren who gave a snort.

"You realize that this is your house, right? You don't have to ask me," Eren chuckled. Inside, though, he was very happy. After last night, he didn't want to be alone all day. He would never tell Levi that, though. That sounded kind of creepy. But his thoughts were interrupted by Levi's soft, bubbly laugh. 

"I suppose you're right," Levi sighed happily. He didn't really want to get his phone, though. The walk was too long and he was too comfortable. "Eren. Hey, will you get my phone? It's on the table in my bedroom." Eren raised his eyebrows at him but got up without any other resistance. When the boy returned, Levi dialed up the hospital and told them that he was taking a sick day. ("Levi, Hanji is yelling at me." "I know, I can hear her." "She wants to know wh-" "Tell her to shut the fuck up. Have a nice day, though, Petra." "Thank you. You, too.")

After a short, semi-awkward silence, Levi decided that it was better that they changed Eren's gauze sooner than later. The duo went to the bathroom and made quick work of the matter, both very uncomfortable with the situation. Eren looked the other way the whole time, refused to meet Levi's gaze. Levi didn't try to sugarcoat the situation, either, by making small talk. He just did what he had to as quick as he could. The wounds were still red, raw, but they were crusted with blood. Levi wiped them down with a wet washcloth, much to Eren's discomfort. Once he was done, however, they looked a lot better. Then, he put on fresh gauze and taped it up. They both left the bathroom in quite a hurry. Once they were out, however, the atmosphere relaxed a little. Eren plopped onto the couch, pulling his knees to his chest and resting his chin upon them. Levi sprawled across the part of the couch that wasn't occupied, curled up a little. 

"I don't know about you, but I kind of just want to sleep today," Levi yawned, curling up. Though he'd just woken up, he really wasn't in the mood for dealing with anything today. He'd done what he really needed to do (help Eren out and eat some food). He wouldn't be hungry for a few hours and he had the day off, so why not just sleep? It's not like he couldn't call in sick tomorrow, too, if he really needed to. Hell, he barely ever used his time off, so he had the entire year's worth. Eren looked at him with an indiscernible expression before sighing. The boy nodded, and an affirming grunt was heard. "Here or the bedroom? Your choice." 

"Um, the bedroom?" Eren said, though it sounded more like a question. 

"Alrighty, you can g-"

"Can you come with me?" Eren blurted out. His cheeks heated up after, but he explained. "I... I don't want to have nightmares or anything. It's... just, sorry. Nevermind." He started to get up.

"Eren." The boy stopped, looked at Levi. "I told you that I would help you, that you could come to me for help. If this is going to help you, then I don't have any problems with it." Levi hauled himself off of the couch which was sticking to his skin, anyways, and headed towards the bedroom. Eren just kind of stood there for a minute, but he eventually caught up. Briefly, as they climbed into bed, Levi remembered that Eren had kissed him last night. On the lips. And it wasn't that Levi didn't want it, because last night, he'd had the best sleep that he'd had in a long while curled up next to Eren. It was just that he didn't know why Eren had kissed him. Did Eren feel the same way? Was it just on a whim, something done in the heat of the moment? He didn't want to think about it right then and there. But when Eren climbed in and pressed against Levi, he couldn't help but to. He wanted to do this every time he went to sleep. He wanted somebody pressed against him, somebody warm, somebody _real_. Sleep tugged at his eyes, and he couldn't help but to feel very happy at that moment. Tomorrow, or when he woke up, he'd probably have to ask Eren about the kiss-- he was dying to know-- but now was not the time. They were both a little stressed, and both wanted some sleep. So Levi closed his eyes, and maybe he even pressed a little closer to Eren. Maybe. 

and maybe Eren smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Thanks so much for reading this. I came up with the idea while daydreaming in biology class the other day, and so this fic was born! I'm not going to promise a consistent schedule in posting chapters, but I'm already working on the second, so I doubt the wait will be long for number two. 
> 
> Most of my stories are inspired by songs, so you can kind of see which ones are the parental unit to them. I'll probably state the song, too. This was, obviously, "Drunk" by Ed Sheeran. 
> 
> thanks for reading!! I hope you enjoy. (also, all of my works are unbeta'd, so please pardon any spelling/grammatical issues)


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